HOW DO YOU ROLL FRIDAY DEBATE

  Occasionally on Friday's, we like to end the week we have done a "Friday Food Debate" where we tackle some burning questions of the culinary world, ha. We have expanded it now to other fun and different regional uses of words in addition to food related words.  Now we are adding to that by asking what is the "correct" way to do something...

This week, the burning question is:

We figured this would be a fun one to do.  It's the age old burning question of which way the toilet paper goes on the holder.  Under so you pull from the back and unroll it under?  Or from the front and pull it over?  I've done some checking and there is no regional difference for it.  It's probably more of an age and/or gender issue we suppose. 

Here in our household however, we are divided.  I'm an 'over' and 2nd Man is an 'under'.  It's the way we each grew up.  When we used to put the roll on the holder, if I got to it first he would say I put it on backwards.  If he did it first I would say no, HE put it on backwards.

But then we came up with the perfect solution:

A freestanding toilet paper holder.  No matter how you put the roll on the spindle...

This direction, it's over and makes me happy...

Turn it around and just like magic, it's under and makes him happy...

We remember we had a friend over once and they said they had never seen a stand like this.  I think we bought ours on Amazon years ago but they still have them, you can check them out here: toilet paper stand

That's the debate this week.

So which team are you?  OVER or UNDER?

HALLOWEEN PORCH DECOR INSPIRATION THURSDAY

  On Thursdays, we like to post a picture of something we've found online that inspires us to do something similar at the farm. Sort of our own blog bulletin board so that we can eventually look back and someday, hopefully anyway, recreate it...enjoy! 

One thing we can't wait to do once we have the farmhouse redone is use the porch to decorate for holidays.  Sure no one might see it other than us but if it makes us smile that's all that matters, ha.  So we save ideas when we see them, Christmas, 4th of July, Easter, and of course Halloween!

This one is kind of a black and white decor and it's really nice looking.  Not scary but kind of retro in a way since it's different than the traditional orange pumpkins.  Might be nice someday as a change of pace...assuming we have Halloween again, ha.

Be inspired! 

COLDER WEATHER AND A FUNNY HAPPENING

This past weekend I went to the farm and just checked on things.  2nd Man stayed town to work.  Not going to complain about that at all.

I didn't mow.  As you can see, here is a good example of how our grass bounces back.  From dry and brown to lush and green.  That's even after I sometimes cut it shorter in the hot months.  

Not sure if a picture can convey cold but the one taken above was cold.  When I got there...

...it was 52.  OK so some of you in other states will laugh that this was cold but after 90 to 100 degree temps for months, our first blast of cold always feels really cold.  I wore shorts and a t-shirt when I left the apartment.  The car was comfortable, I left from a parking garage where it's warmer and so when I got to the farm and opened the car door, it was cold!  The wind and overcast skies didn't help.  

I skipped mowing and decided to edge...then I realized I was out of the trimmer line.  I knew there was something I was going to get last week.  Oh well.

So I just did small projects around the yard and barn.  I cleaned out some stuff, re-staked the citrus trees, and moved some things into the barn/workshop.  By midday it was warmer with the sun out.  The picture above was taken during darn near perfect weather (used my car to bring a heavy piece of lumber to the barn).

Then lastly, something funny happened, well funny AFTER the fact!

So I'm walking around checking things out and as I was looking up at a tree, I came upon this.

A HUGE SNAKE!  

RUN!!!!!!!!

I would have stepped on it were it not for my quick reflexes impromptu dance moves created while leaving quickly leaving the area.  But then, as I checked my watch to see what my heart rate was, OH...wait...upon further inspection, turns out it was just a branch that fell from the tree.

Well it LOOKED like a snake.  Right?  Right?

It's always something.

Real OR imagined.  

Hope you are off to a good start to the week.

NEW JOB UPDATE

Well, 2nd Man has been at his new job for a week now.  Y'all have been asking how he is doing and I can say he really likes it.  He said there is a lot to learn so he'll be very busy.  It's the same career/experience he has always had but you know how a new company is a learning curve when you are doing what you know but have to learn all of their systems...

...and their way of describing things.  He said there are a lot of acronyms to learn.  Being in the insurance business, I can totally understand that.  We have SO many acronyms everywhere.

He will be working in the office for the next couple of weeks Mon-Thur and the work at home on Fridays.  After that, he'll be at home more than in the office.  As they transition back to in office work, they are thinking it might be Tue/Wed/Thur and home Mon/Friday.

He's going to have to work from home for the first few weekends just to do some training and do his regular work so I'll be heading to the farm by myself for the foreseeable future.  That's OK, Winter is almost here and the time of year when we don't go every weekend anyway and we want him to have a great new start.

All was not without some drama.

Yep, this is his car.

And yep, that's an accident.

He was rear ended while driving home.  Sigh.  The other party was at fault, traffic slowed on the freeway and he was hit.  The other person was ticketed and their insurance has accepted liability.  The entire lower bumper will have to be replaced and possibly the rear quarter panel on one side.  That piece hanging down is the cover for the trailer hitch.  We removed it so it's not flopping around.  Unclear if there is hitch damage.

Anyway, now we have to deal with that.  It's always something, right?

And since everyone loves a Hobart picture, here he is laying on his quilt in his bed.  I folded up the quilt and put it in the bed (which he never sleeps in but we keep nonetheless) and when I came home from work, he was asleep in there.  Go figure.

Hope you had a good weekend!

Farm update tomorrow!

MARIGOLDS INSPIRATION FRIDAY

 On Thursdays this Friday, we like to post a picture of something we've found online that inspires us to do something similar at the farm. Sort of our own blog bulletin board so that we can eventually look back and someday, hopefully anyway, recreate it...enjoy!

Normally this would have gone up yesterday but blogger had a glitch and it didn't post.  So since I didn't have another post ready to go, I figured we'd make this an inspiration Friday instead, ha.  

Word debate comes back next Friday.

Here is a picture we got a couple years ago from an online friend.  This was how they did their yard every year, planting marigolds.  They found them easy to grow and have fun with so many varieties and colors.

I saved it because when 2nd Man and I saw it we thought, hmm, that could work here.  Marigolds grow VERY well in our climate.  They also are OK with being watered once a week when we go out.  Of course they are annuals but to be able to change things up every year it's not a bad idea.  Or maybe a few perennials scattered in there but instead of trying other annuals that might not work in our weather, why not go with something that we know grows well?  

Side note, I love the smell of marigolds.  Does anyone else?  I have heard people say they hate it but I like it.  It brings back memories of my childhood.

Be inspired!

CREAMY POTATO SOUP WITH HAM AND BACON RECIPE

2nd Man made this soup recently and oh my, it was SO good and satisfying.  It's a creamy potato soup but we like to think of it as a loaded baked potato soup.

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz bacon, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 1/2 TBSP all purpose flour

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 pinch cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chicken broth

4 to 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup whole milk

6 oz cooked ham

1/4 cup heavy cream

*to taste: shredded cheddar, chives, green onions

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy, large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring often, until it is crisp and browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the bacon fat and cook until the celery softens, about 7 minutes.
3. Add the flour, thyme, cayenne, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
4. Add the potatoes, milk, and 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste, check the saltiness of your broth). Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes in the pot, this makes the soup thicker and creamier (if you don’t have a potato masher, you can use an immersion blender or blend a cup or two of the soup in a blender or simply scoop out some potatoes and mash them with a fork). 
6. Stir in the ham and cream, and heat through.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve topped with the reserved bacon (and shredded cheddar and chives or green onions, if you like).

This is a great full meal and even though we are eating it in the Summer/Fall it would be great in the Winter.

Enjoy!

GOOD FENCE GOOD NEIGHBOR

A couple of weekends ago when we both went out, we were shocked to see that our property had grown larger...

See?  All that new land!  As far as the eye can see!

Alas, it was only because the fence behind us (along the back of the property) was gone.

There were workers behind us and they had taken down the fence along the entire back.  It's weird how even a simple barbwire fence makes such a visual delineation of one property to the next.

When we left they were still digging holes so we figured the next weekend we'd see the end result.

The following weekend was me by myself (as 2nd Man was preparing for his job interview).

Here is what it looked like.  Very well done.  Large heavy posts into the ground with concrete...

Here is the corner where our property, their property and the other neighbor's property along one side all come together...

Here is a better shot of how they did it.  The posts are used to provide support for the barbed wire.  We would guess if livestock (mean bulls perhaps?) leaned into it, the large posts being on the other side of the wire should keep everything intact.

It appears to be very nicely done.  

I will have to admit though, since I like things nice and neat, THIS one and only bent post is gonna drive me crazy every time I see it, ha!

Anyway, we're glad this was done.  Now if we could just get that done on the 'goat side' of the property, ha.  We actually thought about paying (in the future) to have it done but it's our understanding that usually the neighbor with the livestock is responsible for the fence?  We fear that if we did do that, it would be our responsibility from then on, even if we never had livestock on our side.

RANDOM SUNDAY UPDATE

Hello!

We hope everyone is having a great weekend.  With 2nd Man starting his job tomorrow, this weekend has been running some errands.  We decided to forgo the farm so we can get everything ready (setting up his home office area, getting some new clothes, etc).

Here are some pictures I took last weekend.  The yellow is on the property next to us and the mesquite tree is ours.  They aren't the greatest trees to have (thorns and not a lot of shade) but they grow in such interesting ways they always look different.

The neighbors usually have cattle but this year they do not and so their property is reverting to its natural state. We like the beauty but honestly, we'll admit that we miss seeing the cows.

Here is a Sunday Hobart picture, looking outside, contemplating the meaning of life...

PS - 2nd Man will get online later (if I can make him stop long enough) and reply to your well wishes from Friday.

HOUSTON WE HAVE A

2nd Man has a new job and starts Monday!

He's been through a few rounds of interviews and a few days ago they made him an offer and he accepted it.  We were just waiting to make sure all progressed as it should and yesterday they said to come by Monday to sign papers and get all the info to get started.  He will get more details then but the company is still primarily working from home and his team will all be working remotely for a while as well.  

We're not sure if there will be a once a week in the office or maybe once a month but they have already sent a laptop to him and webcam and we've gotten him a new large monitor and set up a home office for him.

We're grateful.  It's been a long, tough road but we kept our hopes up even in these dark times.  This is a great opportunity with full benefits.

Thanks to everyone for sending good vibes and well wishes!  Keep them coming for continued success.  Hopefully in a couple of months we can get back to planning for the future at the farm.

ARBOR WITH DECK INSPIRATION THURSDAY

On Thursdays we like to post a picture of something we've found online that inspires us to do something similar at the farm. Sort of our own blog bulletin board so that we can eventually look back and someday, hopefully anyway, recreate it...enjoy!

Here is something fun.  I like an arbor.  I haven't convinced 2nd Man yet.  But I saw this and thought it was a neat way of doing it. This was a DIY project someone had done (on davesgarden.com).  It sure would be nice to have something like this with a simple deck underneath and create a sort of outdoor room.

Living room, dining room, etc. and then some beautiful climbing vines.  It would be a nice extra room for the house at the farm. A place to go and relax and enjoy the outdoors. (when the weather is nice of course)

Be inspired!